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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rule — government
  10. spell — magic
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rule — a law
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com